If there's one thing that has kept HitmanHQ crawling along during the
slowest times of Hitman, it has been the Piece of the Action section.
Each day, this front page feature is updated with a new viewer-submitted
screenshot and hopelessly witty caption. We've all seen some of the
amazing Hitman scenes "caught on JPG," and it's great fun to marvel
at some of the gruesome, wacky, and downright sickening images you guys
catch, but, to be quite honest, sorting through all the submissions can
sometimes be a downright pain in the arse.

That's why, for your reading pleasure (and to make sure you increase the
chances of getting your screenshot posted) I have created this handy
POTA submission guide.

1. Keep The Format
All Piece of the Action screenshots are JPG (.jpg) images.
It would be of great help if all submissions were of this same format.
Now obviously, if the screenshot is taken using Hitman's built-in
screen capture function, the image is going to be of the TGA (.tga)
format. TGA file can easily be converted to JPG using a simple image
editor, but the main problem with sending a TGA file is that they can
sometimes reach sizes of over 1 MB, and huge files like this really clog
up the mailbox. A great program for doing image file-type conversions
(and lots of other image manipulation) is Irfanview32, which
can be downloaded here. Additionally, don't zip images -
send uncompressed JPGs (even if sending multiple images).

2. Standard Sizes Please
As well as the file format, the image resolution of Piece of the Action
screenshots is standardized at 800x600 pixels. For most Hitman
players, this is going to be the default resolution the game is played in.
If you play in 1024x768 resolution, try resizing screenshots to 800x600
before sending. However, for those of you that play in 640x480 resolution,
do not resize, as the image will become blurry if enlarged. Any
submissions at 640x480 are left at this size.

Please do not send cropped images (a cut-out section of a screenshot), or
attempt to cut off the ammunition and health meters. This creates an odd image
size, and when the image is standardized to a default resolution, it becomes
slightly distorted or blurry. All screenshots are standardized to accomodate
the thumbnail size of 160x120, which is in the same scale as 800x600 and 640x480.
So, in other words, don't go cutting on screenshots - leave them how they are
originally taken.

3. Photoshop = Bad
Do not "doctor up" screenshots with text or copy-and-pasted images, however
well they may fit. Today's Piece the Action is for Hitman screenshots,
not Photoshop travesties. This may sound hypocritical, since several
modified images have been posted in the past, but, as a general rule, stick with
pure Hitman screen captures. Leave caption writing to the professionals
(*cough*).

4. Be Original!
Lastly, and most importantly, send original shots! Take a look through the
archive, and if you've seen it before, don't send it again. Good examples
of unoriginal screenshots are: dragging lots of bodies and items into the pool
or into a certain area, covering a body with bullet holes, or laying two
naked men on top of each other. The best screenshots are the ones that leave
people wondering, "Wow, how the heck did he do that?" Of course, all
shots aren't going to be this magnificient, but at least you have something
to shoot for. Also, spontaneous screenshots are usually better than ones
that are planned or staged (read: usually).

That just about wraps it up. Follow these handy guidelines, and pretty soon
you'll see your POTA submissions popping up faster than The Hitman changes
clothes. If what you just read above makes absolutely no sense, don't let that
discourage you from sending your screenshot anyway. Remember, this is only a
guide.